Cancer patients across Tampa are staring down a financial curveball as Moffitt Cancer Center drops out of network for some major Medicare Advantage plans. Aetna’s individual Medicare Advantage HMO and PPO plans stopped covering Moffitt on Dec. 1, 2025, and Humana plans are scheduled to drop the center on July 1, 2026. Many patients in active treatment say suddenly facing higher copays or full out‑of‑pocket charges is simply impossible while they are focused on staying alive.
According to Moffitt Cancer Center, Aetna terminated its Medicare Advantage participation effective Dec. 1, 2025, and Humana will end participation for certain Medicare Advantage HMO and PPO plans on July 1, 2026. Moffitt warns that these changes could lead to higher out‑of‑pocket costs, extra authorizations or denied claims for affected patients. Humana says members will receive continuity‑of‑care support and personalized help to transition to other in‑network providers. The cancer center says it will keep treating Aetna and Humana Medicare Advantage patients on an out‑of‑network basis while working with insurers to obtain authorizations for people in active treatment.
Heather Curley, a Tampa woman who receives weekly care at Moffitt for metastatic breast cancer, told Tampa Bay 28 that she cannot shoulder the bills if her Humana Medicare Advantage plan goes out of network. "I can't pay out of pocket," Curley said, warning that treatment costs could climb into the tens of thousands. Curley, who enrolled in a clinical trial that has extended her life beyond early expectations, said the insurance disruption feels like an extra, unfair fight on top of battling cancer.
Aetna told local reporters that "as of December 1, Moffitt Cancer Center is no longer in network for our individual Medicare Advantage plans but continues to participate in existing employer‑sponsored commercial and group Medicare Advantage plans," a statement shared with FOX 13. The insurer said impacted members can request transition‑of‑care coverage while they sort through plan options. Reporters and analysts note that these contract breaks often stem from negotiation impasses as insurers and academic centers test the limits of reimbursement and network design rather than clinical quality, according to WUSF.
What This Could Cost Patients
How hard patients get hit financially will depend heavily on their specific plan and whether it pays for out‑of‑network care. An analysis of recent plan terminations finds that many beneficiaries do have alternative Medicare Advantage options, but switching plans can mean losing access to particular providers or benefits, according to KFF. Consumer guidance notes that PPO plans sometimes cover out‑of‑network visits at a higher cost, while HMO plans typically do not cover out‑of‑network care at all, so the financial fallout will be highly plan‑specific, per NerdWallet.
Options And Deadlines
The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs through March 31, giving affected enrollees a one‑time chance this season to switch Medicare Advantage plans or return to Original Medicare, according to Medicare.gov. The agency advises using its online plan finder or calling 1‑800‑MEDICARE to compare networks, drug coverage and out‑of‑pocket limits before the deadline. If you are in the middle of a course of treatment, you are urged to ask any new plan how it would handle your existing authorizations before making a change.
How Moffitt Is Helping
Moffitt says its insurance navigators are available to help patients review coverage options, obtain authorizations and explore plan changes. The center notes that some patients may qualify for continuity‑of‑care protections or special enrollment opportunities in certain situations, according to Moffitt Cancer Center. The hospital recommends contacting your insurer, checking official Medicare resources and working with Moffitt’s Financial Clearance Unit for support. For assistance, Moffitt lists a general phone line at 1‑888‑663‑3488 and a Financial Clearance Unit hotline at 813‑745‑7300.
For patients like Curley, the insurance shakeup adds paperwork, phone calls and anxiety to an already brutal fight. While insurers and hospital negotiators work through the standoff, clinicians and advocates say people in active treatment should document authorizations, ask about continuity‑of‑care rules and enlist provider financial counselors to reduce the risk of surprise bills.
